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Friday, May 15, 2009

The Girl and May Flowers

It was the first time I had seen the girl and I thought it odd because Adolph, my Basset Hound, and I take this walk almost daily. But, a beautiful day in May often brings out people who don't normally visit cemeteries. I suppose the May Flowers in bloom are the attraction. And, today they were glorious. Tulips lined the gray stone wall and Daffodils dotted the space between them. The purple Red Buds and White Dogwood blooms hung heavy above all the other flowers and created a wonderful contrast in colors.

A gentle wind blew and was only disturbed by the blare of distant sirens in the city. The girl wore a sleeveless summer dress which I thought to be a bit cool for the day but she did not seem to be chilled at all. She stood just inside the main entrance and smiled at me as I approached. I smiled back.

Adolph didn't seem to notice her at first and it surprised me since he has such a keen sense of smell.

"Your dog is cute," the girl said as we got closer to her, "does he bite?" She was holding a purple and white Iris in her hand. It looked almost like an Orchid.

"Thank you," I replied, "No, he does not bite. He is pretty laid back. It would take too much effort for him to bite anyone."

Even with my assurance, the girl stepped back when Adolph finally began to sniff his way to her.

"You may pet him if you want too."

"Thank you, but no, I am not very good with dogs."

I pulled Adolph to a stop, "My name is Zack and this is Adolph. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new to our community?"

"Oh, no, I've been around for a long time. But I have seen you all before. You come here a lot, don't you?"

"Yes, it is one of our daily routes. Don't you just love these May Flowers?"

"They are beautiful, they always are this time of year. I love the pink and blue Phlox, the way it mounds over the rocks. It is just so beautiful."

As she spoke, I heard more sirens and wondered what was going on. They seemed closer now. "Yes, I love the Phlox too, I wish it bloomed like that year round. So you have seen us before? I guess we just missed you somehow. The breeze is a little chilly this morning, aren't you cold?"

"Not at all. It's always a little cool here but it makes me feel alive. You have family here, don't you?"

"Yes, over in the Eastern corner. That is our family plot. I guess they will plant me there someday. There is a lot of family over there, all the way back to my great-great grandmother."

"She's a beautiful lady, isn't she?"

"They say my sister looks just like her." I answered even though I thought the question a little strange.

Adolph began sniffing around and seemed to be ready to continue our walk. "I guess we had better be getting on. You are welcome to walk with us if you like."

"Thank you, that would be nice, but I usually just stay right around here."

"Well, you have a good day. Maybe we will see you again soon?"

"I am sure you will see a lot more of me now and the others too." The girl hesitated for a moment then went on, "Do you hear them talking?"

The question was so strange. It just seemed really eerie and I couldn't answer at first.

"If you listen, you can hear them." She held her hand up as if she were telling me to stop thinking and just listen.

I tilted my head and concentrated on listening to whatever it was she was talking about. When I heard the voices, I began to understand all to clearly...

"I swear," a young man said, "They just walked right out in front of me. There was nothing I could do."

"I guess he didn't see you coming. I see him walking along here all the time."

"Sir, what should we do with the dog?"

"If you have an extra blanket, just wrap it up and put it in my truck. I am sure the family will want to bury it."

"Yes, Sir. The coroner is on his way. It's a shame, isn't it, on such a beautiful Spring day...

NOTE: Now be very honest in your comments... let me know what I could have done to make this a better piece... practice your critique and write good helpful comments.

2 comments:

Tony, I really enjoyed this story when you read it in class (or was it at the Fudge Co?) The only thing I would change is some of the dialogue in a few places - using more contractions so it sounds the way people speak. This was the only place I kind of stumbled when I was reading it. Otherwise, it's a great story, albeit, sad...